Heeramandi reviews: Netizens laud Sanjay Leela Bhansali, call his Netflix web series ’masterclass’

Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, renowned for his cinematic excellence, has come up with an epic drama series, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, which premiered on Netflix today, May 1.

It has been 30 years since Bhansali and Manisha Koirala last collaborated in their movie 1942: A Love Story. While Heeramandi shares a genre similar to the 1994 classic movie, the new series delved into raw emotions, exploring themes of freedom, love, brothels, and jealousy. 

The series offers glimpses of movies like Gangubai Kathiawadi, Mandi, Kalank, and Devdas, but with a more refined portrayal of actors. 

The lead actors are Manisha Koirala (as Mallika Jaan), Sonakshi Sinha (Faradeen/Rehana), Richa Chadha (Lajjo), Sanjeeda Shaikh (Waheeda), Aditi Rao Hydari (Bibbo) and Sharmin Segal Mehta (Alamzeb).

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The series marks the return of Fardeen Khan (as Wali Mohammed), complemented by performances from Jason Shah (Cartwright) and Taha Shah (Tajdar).

The series took 14 years to make and has gained momentum on the OTT platform. Each episode lasts 50 minutes to an hour.

Here are some viewer reactions to the series:

Aniruddha Haridas wrote, “Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Heeramandi' is a masterclass on camera movement and mise-en-scène.”

Another netizen, Aayush Sharma, wrote, “#Heeramandi is a mesmerizing saga that pays homage to the unsung heroes of history. Bhansali ensures that his narrative reaches a wider audience while maintaining his signature cinematic flair. Manisha Koirala and Aditi Rao Hydari steal the show.”

Another social media user commented, “First episode and im already loving the chemistry b/w alamzeb and tajdar #Heeramandi [sic].”

Another netizen wrote, “@mkoirala Happy to see you after so long. A great piece of acting. By everyone in #Heeramandi. Surprised to see Fardeen can also act!”

However, there were few who were no impressed with the Netflix series. Abhijit Iyer-Mitra took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, “Could anyone get past the first 15 minutes of #Heeramandi? I mean, great sets, but 2 songs within 15 mins & no plot in sight and terrible story telling [sic].”

According to Filmfare magazine, in a recent chat, Sanjay Leela Bhansali revealed that he originally wanted to cast Rekha, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Rani Mukerji when he first thought of Heeramandi 18 years ago.